Lululemon founder Chip Wilson slams company's 'whole diversity and inclusion thing'
Chip Wilson speaks during a news conference in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, on Thursday, Sept. 15, 2022. (Credit: Taehoon Kim/Bloomberg via Getty Images)
NEW YORK - Lululemon founder and former CEO Chip Wilson recently criticized the company's moves to expand its product line to a wider, more diverse market.
In a new interview with Forbes, Wilson slammed the yoga-inspired fashion chain’s "whole diversity and inclusion thing" and the appearance of the people in its ads, who he claimed look "unhealthy," "sickly" and "not inspirational."
"They’re trying to become like the Gap, everything to everybody," Wilson told Forbes. "And I think the definition of a brand is that you’re not everything to everybody… You’ve got to be clear that you don’t want certain customers coming in."
FOX Television Stations reached out to Lululemon for comment.
Lululemon hosts complimentary yoga classes all over London on March 20, 2014 in London, England. (Credit: Tim P. Whitby/Getty Images for lululemon athletica)
"Chip Wilson does not speak for Lululemon, and his comments do not reflect our company views or beliefs," a spokesperson told FOX. "Chip has not been involved with the company since his resignation from the board in 2015 and we are a very different company today."
In 2013, Wilson landed in hot water for blaming an issue with see-through leggings on "some women’s bodies" that "just actually don’t work for it." He stepped down as Lululemon chairman that same year.
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LuluLemon told FOX that the company remains "committed to creating and fostering an inclusive, diverse, and welcoming environment throughout our organization and across our communities."
They continued, "We have made considerable progress since launching our Inclusion, Diversity, Equity and Action (IDEA) function, and we are proud of the goals we have achieved. We also recognize that becoming a more diverse and inclusive organization takes time and is only possible through the sustained efforts of our leaders and our people. We remain steadfast in our commitment to become a more inclusive and diverse company."
Lululemon’s stock price dipped only slightly following Wilson’s remarks. Yet, its price still stands at nearly $500 a share – close to the company’s all-time high.
This story was reported from Los Angeles.